Chables w



Dec. 22, 1925- 1,566,722

. v c. w. BALLMAN SCAFFOLD BRACKET Filed Aug. 6. 19 23 TIE l l l 2 I3 42 '2 I4 gnowto'c WM M Patented flee. 2.2, 1.925.

CHARLES W. BALLMAN, F IjNDIANAEOLIS, INDIANA. v

SCAFFOLD BRACKET.

Application filed August 6, 1923. Serial No..856,910.

To all-whom it may concern:

it known that 1, CHARLES WV, BALLMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Scaffold Bracket; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

ihisinvention relates to ad uStable scaffold brackets and in the present invention the same are reversible, as shown in the prior Patent No. 328 999 dated October 27'. 1885. r [his lnvention is an improvement upon the same and the chief object of the invention is to construct the reversible scaffold bracket that it may be collapsed into compact form to facilitate the transportation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to construct the bracket hook in such a manner that the same is not only reversible as shown in the prior patent, but also is substantially I unitary, thereby preventing the loss of certain securing parts heretofore employed.

The chief features of the invention consists in the unitary construction, as before indicated, of the bracket whereby the objects mentioned are accomplished.

The full nature of this invention will be rerstood from the accompanying drawand the following descrlption and 1e drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a wall, a pair of ladders, a pair. of platforms associated with each of which is a pair of scaffold brackets, one of the platforms being shown in the suspended position and the other being shown in the upholding position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the invention and is taken on the line 2--2 of 1 and in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the scaii'old bracket showing the same in the collapsed position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the bracket hook positioned upon a supporting bar. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same with parts broken away to show said parts in section and to show other parts in detail. Fig. 6 is an end View and a central section of a modified form of mount- In the drawings 10 indicates a wall that su 'iports a pair of ladders having the side bars 11 and the rounds 12. To construct a scaffold a pla form 3; w h is herein shown in the form of the plank, is provided and associated with the same is a pair of scaffold inhackets which supports said platform upon said inclined ladders. The scaffold brackets are adaptedto uphold the platform, as shown in the upper part of Fig.1, or are adapted to suspend Zthe platform, as shown in the lower part of said figure. In both casesthe platform is supported by the inclined ladders by means of the brackets. Since a bracket of the general type disclosed herein has been previously described in the before mentioned patent, no further description of this construction is necessary,

encept'so far as the same relates to the particular improvements in the invention.

As shown clearly 1n Flg. 3, the bracket hook comprises a pair of spaced round engaging-portions 15 which are connected by the angularextenslons 16 t0 the bar portions EC, and herein said bar portions lie parallel H to each other and are suitably secured to-' gether by the rivets,bolts or spot Welding 18. The opposite ends of the bars 17 are o'liset as at 19 to form a'pair ofv parallel pora pivot pin 22; The aforesaid construction,

lions 20 which'are apertured at 21 to receive therefore, essentially consists oftwo complementarily formed members which form a round engaging multiple hook and a bifurcated socket.

2-1v and these apertures provide for adjustment. The bracket hook is slidably' supported upon said supporting bar 23 and the other end of said bar terminates, if desired, in an offset and retaining portion 25 to prevent the accidental removalof said bracket hook from-the bar andthus prevent its loss.

The bracket hook is of the general type disclosed in the before mentioned patent and consists of oppositely directed wings 26 which have a round engaging portion 27 and these Wings are secured to the socket portion 28 having a passage 29 therethrough adapted to slidably receive the bar23. Adjacent said apertured portion and extending transversely thereof is'a boss 30 which is recessed at 31 substantially transversely of the aperture 29 and said recess is further extended to form the opening 32 which slid ably supports the reduced. end 33 0f the A supporting bar23 is pro- 1 rided with. an angular extension 124 and end of the bar 23 is suitably apertured as at plunger 34tslidably supported by the recess V 31. Interposed between the plunger 3-1 and the head of the boss thus formed is a spring. '35 which at all times tends to maintain the plunger 3 in the projected position. The means for .retracting said plunger consists in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of a transverse pin 36 which is associated with the'e'xte'nded portion of the stem 33 slidably supported in the opening 32. V r I,

In Fig. 6 amodified form of this-last construction is illustrated and herein the stem 133 has a threaded end 140 to receive a ,threaded washer 141 of a diameter slightly greater than the'outer end of the boss. The

. head of the threaded stem is then enlarged from the opening 24 in the bar 23 and per-' mits SHlCbbIttCliEtjhOOk to he slid longitudinally of said bar so that the plunger thereafter may register. with another one of the openings 24L. When such registration is se-' cu'red'-the *plunger is released and is seatable in the selectedopening 24. It will be noted,

1 therefore,-that at "no time-is there any complete'fdisa'ssociation of any of the parts pre viouslydescribed and, therefore, there is no dropping of'the securing pin bolts and the like which heretofore has been the practice.

hen two workmen.heretofore were constructing the scaffold, they each supported theplatform in the desired position and thereafter placed the usual scaffold bracket in position upon the ladder and moved the bracket hook to the hook position where the platform was level. In such movement,

frequently, the securing means for the hook was dropped by the workmen, and this neoessitated both workmen returning to the ground with the platform while the first workman recovered the securing means, if

' the same could=be found.

'l Vith the present invention, therefore, at

. notime is therecomplete disassociation of any one of the parts and furthermore the parts are so constructed that they are relativelycollapsible into a compact form heretofore not disclosed.

The invention claimed-is:

1. A unitary collapsible and adjustable scafi'old bracket comprising a bar having an end extending angularly thereof,'barmeans pivotally associated at one end with said angular end and having runglengageable portions at the other end',,a stopupon the other end of the bar, said bar having a plurality of recesses in longitudinal arrangement ad :jacent said stop, arung engageable reversible hook having oppositely positioned rung engaging portions and slidably supported upon said bar and a locking plunger permanently carried by said hook and receivable by any one of said recesses for locking said hook in the desired position, said hook being permanently secured'to said bar by said step, said bar means andhook being movable into collapsed position and said angular portion ofsaid bar being adapted to limit outward movement ofa supporting member supported by said bar means.

2. In a hook of the character described 'the combination of a main body portion adapted for the slidable reception of a transversely recessed bar, a lateral projection on said body including an aperture extending through said projection and including a reduced portion adjacent the outer end thereof, a'locki-ng plunger slidable'intosaid transverse aperture and projecting therefrom into and normally positionediwithin the main body, a stem extending through said reduced portion of the aperture and secured it one end to the plunger and projecting outwardly from the projection for withdrawing the plunger from the body into the projection aperture, a manually engage'able portion permanently secured on the exposed portion of said stem for limiting sliding movement of the stem and the plunger in the locking direction, and a spring seated within the projection and concentric with the stem and bearing at opposite ends upon the plunger and the wall of the reduced iPOl't-lOIl of the projection aperture for normally maintaining said plunger within the body and in looking position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixe'd my signature.

CHARLES W. BALLMAN. 

